Sects
Sect -- a vampire's political and philosophical affiliation -- is ostensibly a matter of choice. If a Cainite dwells in a Sabbat city, however, she's almost certainly a Sabbat member whether she wants to be or not, and a vampire in a Camarilla-held city had better have an exquisite explanation if he chooses not to honor the word of the Prince. Each Sect has a dogma and an objective its members seek to attain. Being broadly distributed organizations populated by creatures as selfish as vampires makes a Sect's nature in each city a unique thing. Some Sect-dominated cities might be paragons of their organization's virtues, while other pay only lip service to Sect creeds. Please click here for a list of cities & places, and what allegiances they are under. Camarilla The Camarilla holds up the Traditions as the highest authority, with a figure known as the Prince acting as the ultimate authority to both interpret and enforce those laws in each domain. First and foremost, the Camarilla sees its role as maintaining the Masquerade, but in domains with accomplished Kindred, the conflicts between them regularly bring the rest of the Traditions into consideration as well. The Camarilla considers itself a well-heeled Sect of genteel vampires, and the term Kindred originates with it, in the idea that all members of the Camarilla are peers in the same august organization. Of course, the social hierarchy of the Camarilla is an elaborate construct, and vicious interpersonal politics and ancient grudges shape the nightly affairs of the "Ivory Tower." True to the nature of this roleplay, all playable characters must be a Camarilla clan. However, this does not deny a player the ability to have be affiliated with others in their past. Sabbat The Sabbat holds an apocalyptic outlook, believing that the time for Gehenna is nigh, and the Ancients will soon rise from their graves and devour their errant get. It has little regard for the Traditions other than immediate self-preservation, and its domains are hellish urban warzones where people may well have seen vampire activity but simply chalk it up to the weirdness and horror of the World of Darkness. The Masquerade (or "The Silence of the Blood," as they call it) is tenuous in Sabbat domains, and much of its poor relationship with the Camarilla owes to its recklessness and shortsighted brand of fiery fanaticism. The Sabbat believes that ultimately, vampires must assert their place over the mortal world instead of hiding from it, if they are to survive the fangs of their creators. Part fanatical death worshippers, part millennial doomsday cult, the "Sword of Caine" is neither subtle nor tolerant.The quintessential Sabbat clans are the Lasombra and Tzimisce, though many other clans may join their ranks in the form of 'antitribu', or 'anti-clan' adherents who have abandoned their Camarilla or Independent origins. Independent The Independent Clans often function like small-scale Sects themselves, with specific agendas in mind, though this is not always the case. Independent clans consist of the Assamites, Giovanni, Ravnos, and Followers of Set. Anarch Movement The Anarch Movement is localized and sporadic, without any real central organization outside the individual cities where it establishes itself. In fact, the Camarilla considers the "Anarchs" under its own purview. The central tenet of the Anarchs is that rule by elders is an outmoded concept, and that Kindred domains should be governed by merit, with a fundamental respect for the individual Kindred. Effectively, the Movement seeks to redistribute the power in domains from the hands of the old elite into a more equitable arrangement. While this may seem modern and reasonable, that's not how Kindred society works in most domains, and those who already benefit from consolidated power find the idea laughable at best and treasonous at worst. As well, many Anarchs style themselves as revolutionaries, willing to do whatever it takes to strip power from the corrupt old guard who hoard it. These are no utopian domains of happy Kindred-kine relationships. These are petty kingdoms ruled by individual undead lords of whatever territory they can seize.